While contender is not a word you can use to describe the Padres these days, neither is boring.

And the fans at Petco Park seem to recognize it.

Rallying around a blown call by plate umpire Lance Barksdale that cost the Padres an insurance run, the crowd of 35,184 got into the game as they rarely have over the past two seasons.

Behind rookie starting pitcher Mat Latos and a bullpen that worked three scoreless innings in a winning effort for the fifth time this homestand, the Padres defeated the New York Mets 3-1 last night.

The win was the Padres' third in as many nights against the Mets and stretched their winning streak against the Mets at Petco Park to eight straight.

It also ran the Padres' record on the current homestand to 6-3 – clinching a third winning homestand this season.

The four rookies in last night's starting lineup plus reliever Luke Gregerson again played prominent roles in the Padres' ninth win in their past 12 games.

Latos allowed one run – a first-inning solo homer by Alex Cora – on four hits over six innings to pick up his fourth straight victory in as many starts.

“As the game went on, he pitched better,” said Padres manager Bud Black. “I thought when it got a little hot, when there was a little crisis, he turned it on.”

In addition:

Will Venable tied the game in the bottom of the first with a single, his 14th RBI in the past 10 games.

Everth Cabrera, who hit a walk-off grand slam to win Friday's game, drew a bases-loaded walk to give the Padres the lead.

And Tony Gwynn made a flying catch in the fourth while leaping over a sliding Venable in right center to save a run.

But it will be the fifth-inning call by Barksdale that will likely be the most remembered moment.

With the Padres leading 2-1, Cabrera took off from second on Gwynn's two-out single to right.

Cabrera beat the throw from Mets right fielder Jeff Francoeur and clearly slid his left hand across the back third of the plate – from every angle of every replay – as he slid past catcher Brian Schneider.

But when Schneider scrambled and tagged Cabrera, Barksdale, who had been looking straight down at the plate as Cabrera slid across – called Cabrera out, triggering a heated debate between Padres manager Bud Black and Barksdale and drawing the ire of fans who have witnessed five blown calls over the past six games.

Even before Black reached the plate, Padres second baseman David Eckstein, his hands clasped as though he were praying, stood in front of Barksdale pleading, “I promise you, I promise you.”

“Usually, if they hear that, they know I try to be honest,” said Eckstein, who took note of how Padres fans reacted after the call and Black's ejection.

For the next two innings, fans loudly booed even every strike and ball call by Barksdale.

“When the fans get involved like that, it is unbelievable,” said Eckstein. “When you've got a young club like this, they need to understand how to play in front of a crowd like that.